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| The Mazda6 is a good starting point for Ford's engineers, as its wonderfully balanced chassis will move Taurus customers up a serious performance notch. (Photo: Mazda) |
Other good news has the new model riding on Mazda6 architecture, a plan that goes a long way to optimizing Ford Motor's economies of scale and thus allowing delivery on Mays' last quoted word, affordability. The Mazda6 sports a competent chassis, much more so than the current Taurus, which should allow the new model to get the most out of the planned 2.3-L inline-4 and 3.0-L V6 engines. Manual, automatic and continuously variable (CVT) transmissions will be available, while the model is scheduled to be Ford's second full hybrid gas-electric vehicle behind the Escape Hybrid, also shown in New York.
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| The Ford Freestyle FX concept is close to what we can expect from the production crossover SUV, minus the slick sliding rear roof section. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
It should be said that Ford Motor plans to build up to 10 vehicles and more than 800,000 units from the Mazda6 platform, starting with the larger Five Hundred sedan and car-like Freestyle crossover SUV, but not ending before sedans such as the Futura, and yet more crossover SUV variants bear both Ford and Lincoln badges as well as Mercury monikers in the U.S.
Regarding reworking a Mazda into a Lincoln, previously an idea that wouldn't have gone over well with Lincoln's traditional clientele, Phil Martens, Ford vice president of product creation for North America was recently quoted in Automotive News saying, "Architecturally, the platform has the capability to handle a wide range of product and functional attributes." He added, "I'm not concerned about our ability to take that platform and turn it into our Lincoln DNA."
Ford Motor's desire to share the platform with Lincoln should quell any misgivings about the company's desire to do the same with blue oval products.